NOVEL NEXT Chapter 386
Chapter 384
Side Story: Exploration of the Holy Realm – 3
The world of Eclipse, which I set foot in after quite some time, wasn’t much different from before.
In the sky divided in half, the sun and moon still rose together, and in the daytime space, there were flower fields, while the nighttime space displayed grass and trees just as it always had.
It was a world where the sight of colorful hues saturated with sunlight swayed gently in the breeze, coexisting with the serene scene of a few simple colors soaked with dew.
At its center sat a modest two-story house that seemed unbelievable to belong to the Creator God.
It was an ordinary house straddling day and night, but in a sense, it could be called a true holy realm because the Goddess resided within.
“Goddess? Are you inside?”
I called out to Eclipse as I opened the door and stepped in. It was quiet. I searched every corner of the first floor for the Goddess, but she was nowhere to be found.
A feeling of déjà vu washed over me.
‘Didn’t this happen before?’
Recalling the familiar sensation, I headed upstairs. Halfway up the stairs, I heard someone speaking. It was the same situation as when I had visited for the second time. As soon as I realized this, I had an intuition.
Eclipse was preoccupied with something again.
Just like last time, how intensely must she be focused to not notice someone entering her own home? I tiptoed quietly to the door, planning to tease Eclipse.
From the slightly opened door, the voice became clearer.
“I know. It must be hard to resist. After all, you have my perfect body before your eyes. But don’t worry. I also have the duty to soothe your desires. Right? How can one possibly refrain from touching a Goddess? Now, look. My lips, and this armpit too.”
At first glance, it sounded like she was having a conversation with someone, but I felt no presence other than Eclipse. So, it must be a soliloquy.
With an even stronger feeling of déjà vu, I pushed the door open.
“All of this is for you— Kyaaaak! You?! How did you get here?!”
“What were you up to this time, Goddess?”
As soon as I entered, a startled Eclipse screamed. The scene inside the room matched my expectations perfectly.
Similar to last time, but this time Eclipse had gone out to the balcony to lean against it and strike her version of a ‘dignified pose.’ The moment our eyes met, she gasped and tucked her armpits close.
“Were you practicing how to greet me with dignity again? Just like last time?”
“N-no! While it is a similar pose, um… it’s not that….”
“Then why don’t you tell me what you were doing?”
Eclipse jumped up, denying it was a practice to greet me dignifiedly, but when I asked her what she was actually doing, she fell silent immediately.
Hiiing, Eclipse made a cute pout, but what caught my attention the most was something else.
“What are you wearing? It’s the first time I’ve seen you in something other than that strange rags.”
“R-rags?! That’s too much, you….”
She was indeed wearing clothes. The fabric draped over her form, which was not unlike her signature look, had significantly increased in area.
Though it was still close to being an “underboob” exposure, at least it could be called clothing to some extent.
‘What is that? Stockings?’
Except for the bottom.
The only clothing covering her genitalia was still just a single rag. The length may have increased slightly, but the precarious state remained the same.
No, it was even worse this time. The covering was not secured at her sides, but came down from her chest. The ornament at her lower abdomen was heart-shaped, just for added emphasis.
In contrast, she had very high stockings that covered her legs, precisely hitting the area around her Y-zone.
‘…That looks like the outfit Floretta wears.’
If Luna’s attire was what Eclipse typically wore, then Floretta’s outfit was what Eclipse was now wearing. The long thread trailing down from her chest to the heart-shaped covering on her abdomen matched perfectly.
Of course, Floretta’s top wasn’t an underboob but her usual rag, and she wasn’t wearing stockings either.
While I observed her new attire, Eclipse began to stammer her defense.
“I thought I’d try a look that expresses more desire since you seem to enjoy it when I’m not overly exposed… so I was wondering if I could change to something like this…”
Change.
It was indeed quite the change. If you asked if that was even clothes, the answer would be a bit ambiguous, but whatever it was, compared to her usual outfit, it was akin to being wrapped up snugly in a nun’s robe.
Not the nun’s robe of this world, but the one from my world.
However, there was one fact Eclipse overlooked. Putting aside the fact that she had admitted to observing me, my reaction to the ordinary attire was not simply due to the reduced exposure.
“Ah, um… you?”
As I got closer, grabbing her shoulders and turning her body around, Eclipse seemed momentarily flustered but then cleverly arched her back, slightly pushing her rear back.
It was a naturally flowing movement.
While she seemed to be under a gross misunderstanding about what might happen next, I chose not to correct her. She would realize it herself and feel embarrassed later.
Huuuh…!
Ignoring the lewd moan that burst from her as my fingers traced down her back, I swept her hair away.
‘As expected.’
The stockings only reached just below her backside. Above that, there was nothing covering her voluptuous bottom. In the end, her hair was the only thing covering her behind.
I withdrew my hands. Her flowing black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, beautifully concealing her rear at just the right angle.
As the sensation of my hands left her body, Eclipse, who had closed her eyes in a flustered expression, slowly opened them. She met my smiling face and began to twitch her lips.
“Did you think I would do something naughty, Goddess?”
“W-what? No, I wouldn’t—”
“No? Don’t lie. You’re clearly looking forward to it. Shall I take a picture of the pose you’re in right now and send it to you?”
I pretended to take out my smartphone from my pocket. Eclipse gasped and spun around. Despite her vigorous body rotation, her attire firmly held its place.
“B-but… as you said, it might already be too late to maintain any dignity… now I only have one role left….”
“You mean making Brightest Darkness 5?”
“Actually, there were two things.”
“Then the other involves managing the world below, right?”
With a pout, Eclipse puffed her cheeks. I poked her cheek with a smile. Pusssss, the air trapped in her mouth escaped. Still pouting, she was drawn beside me.
Eclipse nestled quietly into my arms. I rested my hand on her shoulder, feeling her soft cheeks.
“You can wear what you used to wear. It’s not that I dislike revealing clothes.”
As a man with normal desires, why would I feel that way? My reaction when the Popes wore white T-shirts and jeans was due to the freshness of it, not because I disliked excessive exposure.
There was no reason to dislike anything unless it completely shattered common sense like gem armor.
“And it feels really weird since you’re not showing much skin.”
Having only seen her draped in three rags since our first encounter, it felt stranger to see her dressed up.
Hearing my words, Eclipse’s face flushed, and in the blink of an eye, she returned to her original outfit and smiled brightly.
‘This is much better.’
Yes, this was far superior to her awkwardly stretched-out rags and those strange stockings.
Feeling relieved, I followed the Goddess, swaying her hips in the unique manner of this world, down to the living room.
Eclipse gestured for me to sit on the sofa next to the table. As I planted myself on the sofa, she took a seat beside me instead of across from the table. A faint scent of milk and fruit wafted from our close contact.
“May I ask why you came to find me?”
I briefly explained about Minerva’s Sky Realm. When I mentioned building a city in the sky, Eclipse looked quite contemplative for a moment before giving a rather positive response.
“It’s not impossible. But how does building a sanctuary in the sky relate to me?”
“To hear a definite answer about its feasibility, and personally, I prefer it not to be in the sky.”
“Not in the sky? Why’s that?”
“Because it overlaps with the concept of this place. You likely suggested the sky to introduce a different atmosphere than the Holy Kingdom’s sanctuary, but if it overlaps with here, what’s the point?”
To put it precisely, this wasn’t entirely the sky but akin to another dimension. However, considering Eclipse’s remark about looking down from here, there wouldn’t be a significant difference in imagery.
Someday my women would come to visit here. When that time came, I wanted to avoid any scenario where Minerva would feel heartbroken.
After listening to my words and falling into deep thought for a while, Eclipse carefully opened her mouth.
“Then how about building it underwater?”
“Underwater?”
“Yes. I’ll create the necessary space for you. Building it underwater would not only avoid any similarity in atmosphere but also carry just as much symbolism as building it in the sky. If you give me the correct direction, with the abilities of the Eternal Magician, it would be entirely feasible without my intervention.”
That wasn’t a bad plan. While I pondered my response, Eclipse poked my arm teasingly. Curious, I looked up.
“Um… Is the reason you came here just that? You don’t have anything else to do afterward, right?”
“For now, yes.”
“I-I was wondering if… I have a space here for making Brightest Darkness 5….”
Eclipse whispered softly, her face turning crimson as she squeezed my arm.
“W-would you like to see…?”